by Karen D’Souza who covers early education at EdSource

Going back to school is always a bit of a sticky transition, but this year there’s more to worry about, from teacher shortages to mask rules, than the usual concerns. On top of all that, there are many more children who will be going to transitional kindergarten, or TK, this year because of the expanded age guidelines. These children are younger than the usual TK cohort of almost 5-year-old children who just missed the cutoff for kindergarten.

Paula Merrigan, for one, is up for the challenge. A veteran early childhood educator with 15 years teaching kindergarten and TK in the Castro Valley Unified School District, she’s long been a champion of making transitional kindergarten, a steppingstone between preschool and kindergarten, available to more children.

The universal transitional kindergarten program is being gradually phased in until it includes all the state’s 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 school year. In the 2022–23 school year, children who will turn 5 between Sept. and Feb. 2 are eligible for TK. In the 2023–24 school year, children who will turn 5 between Sept. 2 and April 2 are eligible for TK.

Merrigan recently took a few minutes out from her back-to-school preparations to share some of her tips for parents on how to help their children get ready for TK this year.

What should parents know as they try to support kids who are younger than usual starting TK?

If they haven’t been going to day care or preschool, they will probably have a hard time separating from you. It’s normal, and it may last a few days, but it gets better and easier. Just say your goodbyes and let the teacher or staff handle it. The longer you linger, the harder it is on both of you.

What should parents keep in mind?

Create routines you can stick with. Bedtime should be at a reasonable time for young kids (lights out by 8:30, not starting getting ready for bed at 8:30). Well-rested children perform better at school. Have them set out their wardrobe for the next day so you don’t have arguments over what they are going to wear. Let them have some autonomy. It gives them a sense of power over something small. Teachers don’t care if they come to school in polka-dots and stripes with zig-zags. It actually makes us smile.

Is there stuff parents should practice with their kids?

Give them safety scissors (blunt tip kid scissors) and have them practice cutting magazines, drawn lines, newspapers, etc. You’d be surprised how many students we see who don’t have any idea how to hold scissors, let alone use them.

Practice using a glue stick so they know how to use it in class. Let them create collages with all that cut-up paper and pictures from their scissors practicing. Practice the proper grip with a pencil; small pencils are perfect for their little hands (golf pencil size). Playing with Legos and Play-Doh, or picking up small things like pony beads, beans or small pasta, etc. is great for practicing fine motor skills and building up hand strength.

Should they work on things like early reading or early math?

Write their name with a highlighter and have them practice tracing their name. Talk about the letters in their name so they know what letters they are writing.

They don’t need to be reading yet, but parents and guardians need to be reading to them every single day. It’s great bonding time and shows them you value reading as well.

Math is easier: counting things around the house, talking about what’s bigger or smaller, longer or taller, heavier or lighter, etc. Count with them as they pick things up that they are playing with.

I’m a huge fan of Sesame Street. They are always practicing pre-academic skills on the show in a fun, young kid-friendly manner. That’s a great show to watch with your child, or at least in proximity, so you can talk about what’s happening.

How important is it to talk about sharing or lining up at school?

I always tell my students sharing does not mean, “Give it to me now because I want it!” Sharing means, “May I have that when you’re done using it?” That’s an important thing to explain to your children.

Lining up. Explain you won’t always be the first one in line and that’s OK. I always tell my students we are all going to the same place to do the same thing, so it doesn’t matter where you are in line. Teach them about personal space and to tell others if they are getting in your space, but don’t push someone who is in your space.

What is the hardest part for most kids about starting TK?

It’s the separation from their parents and guardians. Some kids take a few weeks to adjust to their new routine. It’s normal. Eventually, they will rush from their parents to run into class without even looking back to say goodbye. That’s a hard one for parents.

I know I will have crying students and crying parents, kiddos who can’t write their names, don’t know how to hold a pencil, have never held scissors, don’t understand sharing, etc. And it’s OK, that’s why I’m there.

Source: https://edsource.org/2022/what-parents-should-know-about-getting-kids-ready-for-transitional-kindergarten/676655

Written by Sharon Shi

We need more men to break the stereotype of the female-dominated child care industry in today’s gender equity world. From the Hechinger Report, males total only 3% of early childhood educators (1). In our society and history, we have these very specific stereotypes of gender roles, and it’s important for children to see other possibilities and other paths they can take. Men are welcomed and encouraged to step up and step into the early child care provider’s positions as much-needed role models. Male early childhood teachers can make a more positive difference in our next generations’ growth and in our community. 

Here are some benefits to having men in early child care settings:

1. 1. Gender integrated care environments have a big impact on young children as they begin to form their conceptions of gender roles and identity. The presence of male caregivers provides a particular benefit for boys’ development. They have a bonus space to seek out positive role models, especially for those from father-absent homes. Also, a male presence in caregiver settings may encourage fathers to participate more in their child’s educational experience, which in turn expands positive influence into communities.
   2. For the youngest learners, they are more likely to get exposed to different varieties of play and communication styles, which helps them to develop healthy ideas around gender, social interactions, and balanced environments.
   3. The pay disparity that exists for all professional women is especially profound in education. In the late 1800s and early 20th century, being a teacher was one of the few “professional” occupations for women – an opportunity to use their intelligence to do something greater; “have a wider world of ideas, politics and public usefulness.(3)” Pay was meager and the conventional thinking of that time was that a woman’s income was only supplementing her husband’s income or for a single working woman living with her parents or in a shared housing arrangement until she married, and thus did not require a livable income. To this day, preschool and K-12 educators are overwhelmingly women and the compensation for this workforce remains structurally underfunded and undervalued. While it is an unfortunate reality, increasing male participation in early education will lift all boats and increase compensation for all early care and education professionals.

Despite the benefits listed above and the support from across the industry, male early child care providers are still facing societal barriers and cultural resistance. Some parents are skeptical or concerned about having men in classroom settings. In some child care centers, male teachers are advised not to hug children, change diapers, or monitor toilet training. This perception of anticipated misconduct is at the forefront of men avoiding careers in this industry. Welcoming men into this sphere means changing the perception that we hold of care and the face of caregiving.

A study (2) from NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) shows how several education professors have recommended concrete ways to increase male participation in the field. The recommendations include: 1) increase all early childhood educators’ compensation to that comparable to elementary school teachers 2) in child care programs, establish support groups for male early childhood educators and provide mentoring and professional development opportunities 3) outreach and offer young men more opportunities to work with young children through internships and volunteer programs, and also create marketing materials which include male caregivers in the early childhood education fields in the advertisement. 

To increase gender balance by encouraging more male educators, we must be intentional and proactive in how we recruit and retain men in the field—especially men of color. We need to take concrete actions to ensure this transition and to solidify children’s rights to meaningful and comprehensive education, in balanced environments. This course will truly benefit children, families, and our communities and have a lasting impact on the most critical period in a child’s life.

In the spirit of appreciation, BANANAS is grateful for PROVIDERS and the inclusion that you show daily. We know creating healthy environments for educating our youngest children is what you do best! We thank you for helping us to create a climate of inclusion, and for getting the word out that male educator’s matter.

References: 

1. NOAM SHPANCER PH.D.    Insight Therapy    No Man’s Land: Where Are the Male Daycare Caregivers? 
2. KIRSTEN COLE JEAN-YVES PLAISIR MINDI REICH-SHAPIRO ANTONIO FREITAS Building Gender Balanced Workforce  https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/sept2019/building-gender-balanced-workforce-supporting-male-teachers
3. PBS Online: Only A Teacher: Teaching Timeline https://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/timeline.html